New iPhone with Liquidmetal, consumer price fears

While many consumers are expecting the new iPhone to be equipped with a quad-core processor, one aspect that hasn’t really been discussed is the materials being used to build the device. One interesting rumor this week suggests that Apple may be planning to swap the glass back casing for a Liquidmetal design instead.

It’s a logical assumption that Apple are looking for ways to make their next iPhone as durable than ever, and opting for a liquidmetal approach may be the answer. The information has come from Korean publication ETNews, who claim that using a liquid metal alloy in the next iPhone will result in a much thinner and lighter device overall, one which is less susceptible to taking damage.

While it’s obviously not a confirmation at this point, it is worth mentioning that in 2010, Apple paid $20 to LiquidMetal Technologies to obtain the exclusive rights to use an ‘amorphous’ metal, as noted by 9to5Mac, so perhaps there is some weight behind this rumor in actual fact.

What about the display screen size though? There is still numerous rumors regarding an ‘edge-to-edge’ screen for the next iPhone, and of course never-ending speculation regarding a display screen bigger than 4-inches. While a bigger display screen would be welcome, we would much rather see Apple give a priority to battery capacity instead. Battery life remains a big problem for many iPhone 4S users, so it goes without saying that this is an area of improvement badly needed for the next iPhone.

What are your immediate thoughts on Apple using LiquidMetal materials for the next iPhone? It obviously sounds very cool, but are you worried that using such materials may force Apple to bump up the cost to compensate? Consumers will definitely not want to pay more than the $200 price currently attached to the 4S on contract in the US. Having said that, other manufacturers have no problems asking for $299 for new smartphones on contract, so it will be interesting to see if using LiquidMetal does really increase the price or not.